each night; that’s a long time to go without peeing! Think about it;
most adults wake up to pee at least once a night and we’re skilled at
using the potty.
I’ve searched and searched for the Magic Nighttime Trick; it
doesn’t exist. There’s no way around it. To train for nighttime, you
have to:
- carefully monitor fluid intake before bedtime and/or
- wake your child to pee.
Sorry. I wish there were a magic trick I could give you. I do,
however, have some tips to make night training a lot easier on you.
You will want to monitor fluids about two to three hours before
bedtime, making sure there’s minimal intake. This can be hard on
your child if you do it suddenly. If your kid is used to lots of fluid
before bed, I would start by scaling back gradually before you attempt
your first diaperless night. Avoid sippy cups and bottles at night
(really, these shouldn’t be used at nighttime now anyway). The
sucking action leads kids to take in more than they would if they
were using a cup. A great trick I’ve learned is to buy tiny cups: sake
cups, mini teacups, or even shot glasses. This gives the illusion of a
full glass, even though there’s very little liquid in it. Also, kids love
little things that are their size. I know quite a few moms who’ve
developed a lovely nighttime tea ritual with their kids (chamomile
tea is widely accepted as promoting sleep and calm). Little cups also
come in handy for the classic bedtime stall, “I need a drink of water.”
If your kid pulls this, you can use a tiny cup to give him a drink
without worrying he’s taking in too much fluid.